Mounties fired 11 bullets in two seconds at suspect who pulled fake gun

Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald02.06.2013

Staff Sgt. Brad Freer, head of the Canmore RCMP detachment, said Wednesday outside of court that his officers conducted themselves properly when they fatally shot an armed robbery suspect. “They didn’t have a choice,” he said. “They did what they were trained to do.”Daryl Slade
/ Calgary Herald

CALGARY — Canmore RCMP officers reacted almost instantaneously with deadly force when a robbery suspect pointed a handgun at them during a traffic stop two years ago, according to a video shown at a fatality inquiry on Wednesday.

It took only about two seconds, based on the recording from a patrol cruiser camera, for officers to respond with 11 shots from their service pistols.

Three of the bullets struck the 63-year-old suspect, Jean Steven Boucher, who fell to the ground and was later pronounced dead at hospital.

“He pointed the gun at me and I thought he was going to kill me,” Const. Sanjay Sachdev testified. “Absolutely, I thought it was a real gun.”

It was later discovered that the firearm was a replica.

Sachdev also said the situation was sparked by a subject who wanted to be killed, or “suicide by cop,” as it is commonly known.

“Yes, in my personal opinion, it could be. Boucher had a gun, identical to a real gun, and pointed it.”

Staff Sgt. Brad Freer, head of the Canmore RCMP detachment who arrived at the scene moments after the shooting, said outside court “all members conducted themselves properly.”

“This inquiry has been tough on everyone as they have had to relive the situation,” Freer said. “Our training and professionalism all shows they acted properly. I have to commend the officers. They didn’t have a choice. They did what they were trained to do.”

Cpl. Chris Blandford said he did not expect the suspect to pull a gun when he stopped him on Railway Avenue on Jan. 10, 2011.

“I had no idea he had a gun when he got out of the vehicle. I got out of my car and went up to Mr. Boucher’s car,” Blandford told Crown lawyer Jo’Anne Burgess. “At the end of his arm was a gun. In these types of situations I fixated on that gun . . . his finger was on the trigger.

“I told him twice to put down the gun, I came to the conclusion Const. Sachdev was in danger. I fired three shots at the centre of mass.”

Simultaneously, it can be heard in the video, several other shots also rang out. Three of them struck Boucher, including one that was found by ballistics tests to be from Sachdev’s gun. The other two bullets could not be attributed.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team investigated the fatal shooting and, according to Det. Dave Keegan’s testimony earlier in the inquiry, all of the officers were found to have reacted appropriately.

Blandford said he had wanted to stop Boucher only to talk to him, as he did not know for certain if he had been involved in a third unsolved robbery that morning. He said he ran over to Boucher immediately after the shooting and checked his pulse, which he said was strong. He said he didn’t know then that the man had been struck twice in the chest.

Later, he said, the man had a weaker pulse before paramedics arrived.

The officer said Boucher did not say anything after he was stopped, either before he was shot or after he was lying mortally wounded on the ground.

“I’ve seen armed people in my 22-year career, but this is the first time there has been a gun,” he said. “In this case, there was a complete lack of emotion, which raised the level of threat.

When asked if this situation could be a case of “suicide by cop,” Blandford said he has heard of it in his training and always knew it could happen and “something we have to be aware of,” but couldn’t conclude it happened with Boucher.

He said police have to always deal with each situation in which someone has a weapon and act accordingly.

Provincial court Judge Peter Barley said “it may have been (Boucher’s) intention to get killed by police, but we can’t say that by his thinking.”

Due to the nature of an inquiry, Barley cannot find fault, but he can make recommendations in an attempt to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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Mounties fired 11 bullets in two seconds at suspect who pulled fake gun

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